Improved boot-crimping machine



UNITED STATES PATENT EEICEO CORYDON PRATT, OF PRATTS HOLLOIV, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED BOOT-CRIMPING MACHIN E.

Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent No. 37,242, (lated December 23, 186?.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CoRYDoN PRATT, of' Pratts Hollow, in the'county of Madison and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Implements or Devices for Crimping Boots; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accnnpanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon.

My improvements consist, tirst, in a new and useful combination ot' mechanism whereby the jaws, after having given the requisite amount ot' pressure to the leather by iirst acting upon the curved portion at a point denominated ihe instep with a force greater thananyotherpoint,andgraduallydiminishing thepower as it is extended outward, whereby a uniform thickness is given to the leather, and during the backward movement ot' the jaws the pressure upon the leather is entirely removed, &c.; and my improvement also consists in what l denominate an expander,77 inrerposed between two springs, the opposite ends of said springs having a rigid connection with the jaws.

The several parts and their relative relation I will now proceed to describe.

r1`he platform A may be made of an ordinary l plank and supported upon legs B. Through said plank or platfornnas shown at C, are two rnortises about two and a half inches in length b v one inch in width. Said mortises are sepat rated by a portion ot' the platform about two inches in width.

D I) representtwo studs, provided with a side mortise ot' suitable form to receive the ends ot' the former E and retain it in position shown in Fig. l.

F F represent the jaws, which may be made of cast metal. They are connected by a bolt, as shown at S, by means ot' which they may be held at any required distance apart.

G G represent two springs, ordinarily about twenty inches in length and two and a half inches in width by three-eighths of an inch in thickness. Said springs each have a mortise, as shown at H. Passing through said mortise is a short iron bar about one-third narrower than the mortise. Between the springs G G and near the lower end is a metallic plate resembling in form an inverted letter V, with the lower ends turned outward at an angle ot forty-tive degrees, or, in other words, forming two inclined planes. Passing through the plate above described is an arm or lever, P, pivoted to said plate. The upper end thereof extends upward to the under side ot' the platform and is connected therewith by means of an eye in such a manner as to admit of end play. The opposite end of said arm or lever is provided with a cross-head, K, so mortised as to move up and down when acted upon by the hand-levers L. The levers L L are fulcrumed in m and connected at the upper ends by a bar, a. Above the platt'orm and interposed between the jaws F F is a bent arm or guide, W, (shown in Fig. 2,) and designed to keep the jaws and springs in suitable position to be brought in contact with the former.

The operation ot' my improved crimp is as follows-vizi: The former E is held in position represented in Fig. l; the leather is attached in the usual manner; the united levers L L are attached to the cross-head K, which is in tuin connected to lever P. By depressing` levers L lever P is moved upward and with it the V-shaped casting. lhe springs G G rest upon the inclined portion ot'said casting, which cause them to move outward as they are moved downward imo position shown in |dotted lines, Fig. 1, whereby the jaws are brought in contact with the leather, and instantly removed therefrom when moved in an opposite direction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and original, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows-viz:

l. The combination and arrangement of mechanism, substantially as described, whereby thejaws when moved downward or in the opposite direction from which the leather is forced onto the former are released from pressure on the leather, substai'itially as represented and described.

2. The V-shaped expander, provided with double inclined planes and acting upon the springs G G, in the manner substantially as Set forth.

CORYDON PRATT.

W itnesses A. W. MoRsE, GARDNER MORSE. 

